IT'S CHANGED (SNILY)
CHAPTER 19 Destroy it!
She was sitting in silence. Her anger had finally settled enough for her to think rationally. A book kept open on the table but her attention wasn't even a bit there. Her mind still wandered to her little display in the Great Hall. She had initially thought that no one would have paid attention to what she had to say. But later she realized that the Hall had heard her. Perhaps, it would have gotten into their thick brains that whatever she said was correct and they must know it.
A whispery chatter broke her from her train of thoughts. She tilted her face to see who it was and wasn't surprised to see Severus and her friends whispering among themselves and coming towards her table. She smiled and shook her head. Severus and solving-the-mystery seemed as best friends. She frowned. Best friends to him but after me, she thought and gave a satisfied nod to herself.
They noticed her and she observed that Severus quickly took the seat beside her. From the corner of an eye, she saw him staring at her. He brought up a hand and closed the book that was opened in front of her. She finally turned to her face to him and frowned.
He leaned closer and whispered. "You're alright, aren't you?"
She blushed and twirled her hands in her lap. "I am"
He sat up straighter in his seat and seemed to hesitate. "Did I mention that I am very much grateful to Merlin that you are my friend"
Lily blushed deeper and clutched her robes in her lap. Him looking at her so intently was making her nervous. "I am too, Sev" she managed.
Severus smiled and looked in his lap. "I happen to know"
She swatted his arm playfully and they laughed. Why was there too much silence around? They looked around themselves and just as immediately the people around them started chattering.
"So, what was I saying?" Shane stammered.
"I was thinking that we need to plan this" Selene pointed on a random book lying on the table.
"Do you think we can-" Austin tried.
"You all can just shut up" Severus growled in irritation. Anyone can tell they had been listening to his and Lily's conversation.
They flushed, knowing that they were out.
"So, we must tell Lily what happened" Charm suggested.
"Yeah… YEAH" Shane cleared.
"Shane you can stop yelling" Selene glared at him. He just gave a sheepish smile in response.
"What happened?" Lily asked.
They all looked at each other before Austin gave out and started speaking.
"So, after you went away from the Great Hall, people returned to their breakfasts again and then-"
"I'll tell. It's fine, Austin" Severus huffed by the unnecessary amount of information. He waved his wand in the air. "Muffliato. So, Potter's father showed up and for his son's safety he is bringing Dementors to the school"
"Whoa! That was quick" Austin exclaimed.
"Yes, Austin, we could simply cut-"
Severus cut Selene. "This is something I cannot cut, though, that Potter's father threatened to spank him in the Hall" he laughed.
The others rolled their eyes. Severus would remain Severus.
Lily's eyes widened in amusement. "Wait! This is too much to take in. Potter's father threatened to spank him" she laughed too.
Severus couldn't contain himself, he had to give the details too, making them laugh stupidly for another seven minutes.
"Severus!" Selene glowered. "This is what you caught from the show that too place in the Hall, Lily!"
Both of them reddened, flattening their robes unnecessarily and sitting straight in their chairs.
"And then you say I was giving unnecessary information" Austin muttered.
Lily cleared her throat. "So, the Dementors are coming to the school"
Shane nodded. "Yes, they are going to remain there until Wilkes is caught"
"How will that be? We don't even know where Wilkes is"
"Another set of rumors" Charm huffed.
"Dumbledore is damn pissed off by the entire request or an order from the Ministry, so, he is anyway going to try to have them gone" Selene told.
"Though, Potter's father didn't look like he is going to back down before Wilkes is caught" Severus shrugged.
"FUCK! SEVERUS!" a loud scream made their heads turn in the direction of the noise.
Regulus was panting with his hands forcefully pressing on his ears.
Severus waved his wand and cancelled the spell. "You can come now, Regulus"
He glared at all of them. "What the fuck was that?"
"A spell to keep the eavesdroppers away" Lily said, proudly.
"Another Severus creations? From where do you get the ideas to these deadly spells?" Regulus barked, looking so much like his brother.
Severus scoffed. "It's not deadly" he said shortly. "You are here for?"
"Oh, yes. So, I had to tell you about this thing the Dark Lord gave my cousin Bella"
"To Bellatrix?" Charm asked suddenly. "What did he give?"
"I don't know but what I think is, it's the same thing as the diary I picked up" Regulus shivered.
All of them looked at each other for a moment before sighing.
"It can be the same thing" Selene agreed. "Did you feel weird around it, Regulus?"
He nodded, shuddering. "It was calling me to pick it up when Bella showed it to me. She was very proud of being the loyal one with whom the Dark Lord trusted it"
"It called you!" Lily prompted. She knew this was it. "How?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. It sounded… beautiful but terrifying and chilly… if that is how I can define it"
Lily nodded. "It's fine. We got it"
Regulus nodded, gratefully. "So, what are you going to do, now?"
Severus scratched his chin. "Do you think you can bring it here?"
"I believe so. It is probably in the Lestrange manor or the Black vault which is protected by a dragon"
"A dragon?!" they almost yelled.
"But I can go there as a Black, of course" he winked.
"So, when can you do that?" Austin asked.
Regulus sat back, thinking. He sighed. "I need to get out of the school to do so. So, I need to opportunity"
"Well, the dementors are here as long as Wilkes is not caught. We'll find out a way"
"SNAPE!"
They turned their heads to see who it was and found Potter growling like a lion while Lupin and Black trying to hold him back and Pettigrew standing behind them warily.
"What now, Potter?" Severus asked, bored. Though he already knew why was Potter there.
"What now?! My father has brought dementors in the castle and you ask me, what now?!" Potter yelled.
"Volume down, Potter" Severus drawled. "And the dementors are around the castle not in"
"Don't try to play smart, Snape" Potter growled again. "Was this a part of your plan too?"
Selene leaned on the table. "Yes, Potter"
"What?" Potter breathed, shocked. "I-I thought…"
"You don't think exactly, Potter" Charm taunted. "This is extremely important, more than anything at the present moment"
"We told you, mate" Black rolled his eyes.
"Wait" James held his hands forward. "So, this is really not a way to take revenge from me, Snape?"
Severus sneered. "The world doesn't roam around you, Potter"
"Okay, fine" Potter looked embarrassed.
"You will be free again after this is done, Potter" Lily assured. "You are contributing in the plan, though"
Potter gave his most charming smile. "Yeah… I am ready to help"
Lupin and Black rolled their eyes.
"So, we must get to the defense class, now. As we can see that we missed Herbology" Charm said annoyed.
"Yeah… lets go"
*Page Break*
The Defense teacher was constantly smiling at him that made him feel too weird. Why would he look at him? Lily kept a hand on his arm and frowned.
"Why is Professor Raquel looking at you for so long?" she asked just when the professor looked away.
"I have no idea. He seems weird" Severus whispered.
"You think weird? I would rather go with creepy" she scrunched her nose, just what he found adorable in her.
He laughed and touched her nose unknowingly.
She jumped back and turned to him. "What?"
He shook his head. "Nothing" he gave. "Do you think he is in love with me?"
Lily's face filled with horror. One of her hands flew to his chest and he gasped by the contact. "Absolutely not. Just look at his age"
He laughed the nervousness out of him. "I was just joking, Lily"
Lily flushed and her hand back after realizing the closeness between them, that too in front of the whole class. "I gathered that" she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
He stared at her, admiring her beauty. Then, suddenly, a jerk of force brought both of them even closer.
Her hand flew again to his chest and her breasts touched his. One of his hands had a hold on her shoulder and the other lingered close to her waist but he never gathered the courage to touch her that way. She was so beautiful, he noticed once more. Her red hair blew up with the light breeze in the room and her green eyes shone in the morning light. He could even see the freckles of her face, perfectly in their places. He couldn't take his eyes away from her face before someone cleared his throat.
They broke apart immediately, looking down on the table, flushing red till the tips of their hair. It was Remus who began laughing now.
"You two look fine together" he remarked.
"We are not together" they muttered together.
Remus laughed again. "I can see that" he winked.
"Go away, Lupin" Severus tried to hiss that made Remus only to laugh harder.
"I'll go away. Leave you both together" he said in a sing-a-song voice and left.
"Don't mind him. He tends to get a bit crazy sometimes" Lily muttered.
Severus snorted. "I see that"
He turned his eyes to the front of the class again to only find the professor smiling at him. He frowned. Something was seriously wrong with this teacher.
"Mr. Snape" Raquel prompted. "Would you be kind enough to demonstrate the next spell, non-verbally"
Severus nodded and went in front of the class, standing so close to the professor made him wary. Sweat broke from his forehead and his hands shook a little. His heart beat fastened and he had to keep consciously breathing, lest he faints. His vision went blurry for a second before he regained his composure. He cleared his throat and prepared himself.
He waved his wand and a thick blue shield was created instantly around him.
The class gasped.
Raquel laughed. "You are certainly feeling scared of something, Severus" he used the first name, Severus noticed.
"No, sir" he disagreed.
"Well, you did use a great amount of power in the shield than it was needed. That can only be a work of emotions"
Severus gulped. He wasn't so scared of the professor, or was he?
"Drop the shield, Mr. Snape"
He did and went straight to his seat beside Lily.
Her hand held on his forearm, while his own fingers were clutching the seat, making his knuckles go white.
"Sev" she soothed. "It's okay. You are alright"
He took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes"
"You looked too anxious; did you feel something odd?"
He nodded vigorously and looked towards her. "He-He… I-I felt as if I was pulled out of myself. It was as if he was something is sucking my energy out of me"
She rubbed his arm while a worried frown took over her face. "Calm down"
He grabbed his head in his hands and blinked a few times before taking a deep breath and looking as good as before.
Lily smiled. "Handsome as always"
He blushed but snorted, gaining a swat on his cheek for that.
They shook their heads and turned to the front of the class again where Sirius was standing beside the professor this time. He seemed exactly similar to how Severus was a few minutes ago.
His forehead was sweaty and his chest was heaving.
Lily and Severus looked at each other. Now, there was definitely something wrong with Professor Raquel.
*Page Break*
It was almost three in the morning and there was no trace of anyone in the corridor except for some muffled voices. The were heading to the place where obviously, they shouldn't have been so early in the morning.
"Walk slowly, Charm" an irritated voice could be heard.
"I am, Selene" Charm replied in a suppressed yell.
"Shhh. Shut up you both" Severus hissed. "Lily, Shane and Austin are waiting for us down there, we need to get the diadem fast"
"If only Charm walks properly" Selene complained.
"Its's not my fault that you both are taller than me" Charm snarled. "How did you and Lily manage to do it last time?"
Severus reddened at the remembrance. The night still so clear in his head. "I just had to bend a little, like now"
"Then its Selene who needs to bend this time, she has issues with ever thing"
"No need, now" Selene drawled. "We are here"
Severus looked around and pulled the cloak off themselves. "Now, how to open this? Charm? You did it last time"
"Uh… I was- I don't…" she stuttered. "It was an accident"
"Try it" Selene commanded. "Or you just don't have anything other than a pretty face, huh?"
"That wasn't necessary, Selene" Severus hissed before Charm shoved him to the side to glare at Selene properly.
"Nothing more than a pretty face, huh?" Charm mocked her. "I'll open it" she turned to the empty wall sharply and after a few moments a door emerged on the wall.
"Whoa" Severus breathed.
"See?" Charm raised an eyebrow smugly.
Selene wasted no time to step inside. "Yes, I see my trick worked"
"Trick?" Charm frowned.
Severus leaned down to her level and whispered in her ear. "She is going crazy, Charm, I swear"
"I heard it, Severus" Selene growled from inside the room while the other two scrambled in too.
"So, where was the last time you kept it, Severus" Selene asked shortly.
"How do I remember? I just placed it somewhere and went out"
"Oh, yeah. I remember you shoving it somewhere" she glared. "Now, we have to find the damn thing too"
"You don't have to be so short with us, now, Selene" Severus grumbled. "You are not the queen and we are all frustrated"
"That didn't rhyme, Severus" Selene said in an overly sweet voice. "You will you please help me find the diadem"
He didn't reply. She was being nonsensical.
They just trailed the path, they did before. Coming through all the similar things- the skull, the condoms and then was the diadem. But where this time?
He remembered that day so clearly too. Lily had just forgiven him after their fall out, that day. He was so happy. He smiled.
"Stop smiling like a fool, Severus" Selene snapped.
He gave a half-hearted sneered in her direction.
"Got it" Charm prompted.
"At least you are of some use" Selene rolled her eyes.
"Don't touch it, Charm" Severus warned.
"I haven't" Charm said. "Still wrapped in the handkerchief and kept on a photograph…"
"A photograph?" he asked, coming closer.
Selene didn't even wait for them to do anything before picking up the photograph and shoving the diadem away.
"Selene!" the other two hissed in frustration.
"It's a muggle one" she told them. "Of a side sea hill"
"Do you think it's can be somewhere You-Know-How have hidden something else?" Charm murmured.
"Obviously" Selene flipped the picture in her hands. "'Seven'. That's what written on the back"
Severus peered in. "Nothing else?"
"No. I would have told" she said shortly.
Severus closed his eyes in annoyance but did not reply.
While she kept the picture in her bag.
"Keep the bag open" Severus instructed. He gingerly grabbed the diadem and kept it in the bag before flipping it close. He took a relieved breath.
"Now, come on, they must be waiting down there" Charm mentioned.
"Only if you walk faster, Charmaine"
Charm huffed but didn't say anything.
*Page Break*
"What did you take so much time for?" Shane whispered.
"Charm has to learn how to walk" Selene grumbled.
Shane eyed Charm and Severus' irritated faces and sighed, keeping a hand on Selene's back.
"So, you got the diadem?" Lily asked.
"Yes" Severus replied. She looks so hot in pajamas, he thought to himself, before composing himself again.
"It's with Selene" Charm said, not looking in her way.
"First let's go to the gates and then we'll get that out" Austin suggested.
"DAMN!" Severus eyes widened.
"What?" They asked.
"Those are dementors and neither of us know how to make a proper Patronus"
Shane chuckled. "We do, me and Selene can make corporeal Patroni"
Severus and Lily started at them in disbelief. "You both know! What are your figures?"
"It's a penguin cock" Shane said, reddening.
"And yours, Selene" Severus asked carefully, lest make her bark again.
She cleared her throat, hiding her embarrassment. "A penguin hen" she muttered, though the others heard it.
"Oh…" Lily and Severus raised their eyebrows while Austin and Charm just shared knowing glances.
"You could really cast them?" Severus was still disbelieving.
Selene half sneered and half huffed. "Why, do you take us as fools!"
Severus was genuinely concerned and confused now. "I didn't mean to offend-"
"We are going, now" Selene glowered and walked away, ahead of all of them.
Shane sighed.
"Do you think she must visit Madam Pomfrey?" Severus suggested, rolling his eyes.
Shane smiled, not a very happy one. "She has already"
Severus' eyes widened and his brows creased in worry. "What has happened to her?"
"Irregular menses" Shane informed. "She'll be fine in a few days"
"Why didn't she tell us?" he asked. "We wouldn't have annoyed her like that"
Shane smiled and patted his back. "She's fine, nothing serious. Has happened once before and that was way worse"
Lily came and rested her arm on Shane's shoulder. "And you knew?"
He laughed. "I am the one who's been remembering her dates since she was eleven"
"And you both say that you are not together" Lily mumbled.
"She doesn't see me anything more than a friend" Shane shrugged, sadly.
Severus laughed. "You need to think on that again"
Shane rolled his eyes and walked away behind the other three.
"They both are simps" Lily shook her head.
Severus sighed looking at her. "They are"
She eyed him differently, as if searching for an answer or a hint, then smiled. "Fools!" she shook her head.
He chuckled. "I'd say the same"
"Severus! Lily! Walk fast" Austin called in a suppressed whisper.
They broke the eye contact and set to run.
"Race till there, Sev" Lily challenged.
Severus narrowed his eyes. "I have longer legs"
"I accept"
They ran until a dark wave washed through them. A wave of deep trauma and depression. The surroundings seem to fade into frozen memories and his head was in the dark clouds of sadness.
His legs stopped moving anymore. He stood in the middle of where ever he was.
"Ya are jus' a burden on my 'ead. I 'ope ya were never born" his father's drunken voice rand in his ears tainting him.
His knees gave out. The memories of his sunken childhood came to the forefront of his head. His heart felt hollow and his breathing fastened. He couldn't think straight. He choked on his tears.
All the memories if him being shoved away by his parents came to him. His father beating him, his mother lying on the floor bloodied and bruised, him trying to hide his face with his small hands as a child.
His father's hand on his trousers… He shut his eyes tight. He didn't want to remember that.
Lily's voice came at last. Not the friendly one he had been used to hear. It was the scornful, contempt-filled voice.
"Snivelly!" her voice rang in the darkness.
He broke into a sob, his hands flying to his ears to pause the voice. He didn't want to hear all of that again.
He would die before disappointing Lily so badly again. Hurting her. He couldn't bare it. Tears dripped down his face and his hands pressed on his ears even more forcefully.
"Sev" a strangled voice met his ears. Lily.
He didn't want to hear it. He shut his eyes tightly to avoid anything.
"Sev… please" it was even more desperate this time.
He opened his slowly and turned his face sharply in the direction of the source.
Lily was on the grass, her face as white as chalk, her wand limply in her hand and a dementor looming on her mouth, ready to…
A jolt of hope shot in him. He weakly got up from his position. The energy seemed to be drained out of him. He wanted nothing more than to die but after looking at Lily's face his heart said otherwise.
"Lily…" he managed. "You have… your wand, raise it, Lily"
"Sev…" her voice was raged.
A happy memory. Any. His mother. The Evans. His friends. Lily. He had so much on this planet.
"Lily… think of a… happy memory" he sunk to his knees again, beside Lily this time.
"I can't, Sev, don't leave… please" she wept.
Severus brought up a hand to slip into hers. He would never leave her. He laid down beside her, holding onto her tight.
"Raise your wand, Lily" he said, mustering more energy.
She complied, though both of their hands shook.
"Now… think… remember" he insisted. "We… in the park… we were just nine… I told you… magic… Lily, do you remember?... I do… Your face shone like a star… you were so curious… I felt worthy… loved… trusted… my mum… at the station… she wanted to see me… I cried… I was so happy… I love her… then our friends, Lily… I would have fallen in darkness, if not for them… they are so good… I love them… I love you…" he didn't realize what had he just said.
"Together" Lily said.
"Together" he agreed.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Silver lights burst out from both the wands, taking the shapes of the elegant does. They leaped around the area repulsing the dementors away.
The dark freezes got replaced by the warmth spreading in their bodies. They sighed loudly in relief.
Lily turned to Severus. She smiled. She had heard all of that he had said, but she couldn't gather the courage to voice out herself. A Gryffindor she was, couldn't even do such a simple thing while can kick the Dark Lord badly. She laughed internally on herself.
Severus turned his face to her. Their eyes met. Lily brought up a hand and wiped out the tears that still lingered on his face. She didn't like to see him so sad. He looked more handsome when was his usual cheeky and sarcastic self.
"Thank you" she breathed.
He flushed when her breath washed over his face. Pleasant and endearing. "We made corporeal Patroni"
"We did" she nodded.
"Mine was a doe" he said hesitantly.
"Mine too"
"Perhaps, we are really good friends. Even our Patroni don't want to get separated" he gave.
Lily laughed. Sounds of the bells. "I agree, perhaps, we'll always remain friends"
"Always" he whispered.
"Lily! Severus!" a loud scream.
They sat up straight instantly and kept their wands at the ready. Austin was struggling with six dementors.
Three badgers were looming around him, but seemed ready to fade any moment into nothingness.
Lily ran towards him and made another of her Patronus to shove the dementors away.
Severus looked around only to find Charm efficiently playing with the dementors with a silver mamba snake- her Patronus. He almost laughed at the way she was so chilled out by the entire ordeal. She had been always the crazy one.
He got up and walked farther.
"Sev, wait" Lily called out and walked ran to him with a very tired looking Austin.
"I am coming too" Charm ran to them.
"Where are Shane and Selene?" Austin asked, panting.
Severus shrugged. "They have the diadem also" he started walking with the others towards the forest borders.
They heard a sob close to that place and froze. It was Selene. The darkness seemed dense in a corner.
The dementors were covering an area with, hundreds of them together.
They cast their Patronus charms around them to stay in their senses and not roam around in their worst memories again.
Another sob accompanied by a scream.
They sucked in breath and yelled. "Selene!"
Another sob.
"Selene, make a Patronus!" Severus yelled.
Another sob.
"Shane, are you there?" Lily shouted.
A strangled voice.
"Make a Patronus!" Austin screamed.
"Think of a happy memory, simps!" Charm taunted.
That did something. Some of the dementors burst off from the corner and a moment after the other side cleared too.
They could see two very strong silver lights. A penguin cock and a penguin hen. They nuzzled their bodies together making the others choke on laughter. They were so similar to their owners.
A step ahead allowed them to see to other bodies wrapped around each other. Humans, this time. And certainly, Shane and Selene.
Selene's head was buried in Shane's chest, holding on him tightly, and almost incessant sobs rang in their ears.
Shane had his hands around her, providing all kinds of comfort.
"Shh, Selene. They are gone, you are fine" he was whispering.
She continued to weep.
"Selene, Sel… look at me" he guided her head to look into his eyes.
She reluctantly looked up.
"It's fine. You are fine" he soothed.
Selene straightened and came face to face with Shane, her hand on his cheek and her eyes directly looking into his. It was not long after that their lips met.
The others gasped.
"Finally" Charm rolled her eyes.
They kissed until they were out of breath and had to break apart to breathe. Both of them looked at each other and flushed, laughing.
"I love you" Selene breathed.
Tears welled up in Shane's eyes. He couldn't contain the happiness. He kissed her again. "I love you more than you'd ever know"
"Challenging again, huh?" Selene swatted his cheek.
He broke out a sob but remained composed enough to gently kiss her one last time for then.
Severus cleared his throat. Disturbing people like this was so much fun.
The two turned their heads sharply towards them and blushed red.
"We need to destroy the horcrux, remember?" Lily winked.
"Uh… yeah" Shane scrambled to his feet taking Selene with her. They staggered back but held onto each other, never taking eyes off the others.
Austin cleared his throat this time. "As much as I hate to disturb it…" he motioned towards the bad Selene was carrying.
Selene broke apart from Shane reluctantly and brought her bag to the front.
"Now, we need to find a dementor- they are there" Severus pointed to the group of dementors around a tree.
Selene walked till them and clumsily got the diadem out of her bag, dropping a few things out, but not bothering to pick them.
The hoods of the dementors turned sharply towards her. She wasted no time to throw the diadem in their direction.
It dropped on the floor. The dementors began to suck in the soul.
Black smoke covered the surroundings and they ran as far as they could from the dementors but still manage to see them.
The dementors were enjoying their feast. The black smoke started to reduce and an ear-piercing scream disturbed the silence of nature. And after a moment it was gone.
The all sighed together.
"It's done" Lily threw her hands in the air.
"Yes, the diadem and simping" Charm yawned.
Selene and Shane flushed. "We- umm… did you…?" Shane tried.
Severus said in a very serious voice. "Everything"
"I think we-"
"Whose there?" an old gruffy voice came from the castle door.
They looked at each other with wide eyes. It was Filch. They must have known that so much of screaming would have gotten them into this.
"We need to run to the back door that opens to the dungeons" Severus suggested.
They all nodded and raced to the back of the castle before Severus grabbed the diadem.
"I know you are there, imbecilic kids" Filch continued to yell.
They came into the castle from the back door and the yells died down.
"Come on, now. Make no noise and reach your dorms" Severus showed a thumbs up. Austin and Lily nodded and walked away while he straightened his invisibility cloak.
"Would you keep the diadem, Charm?" he asked.
She nodded and took it from them and pocketed it.
She stepped beside him and he looked back to ask Selene come in too, but found her lips locked with Shane's. One of her hands interlaced with his brown hair locks while the other massaging the other side of his neck. Shane's one hand on her waist, moving up and down while the other one on her shoulder. The passion in their kisses was so high that it could have burned the other two standing and staring at the.
Severus and Charm looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"They'll come by themselves" Charm said and motioned Severus to walk. They turned to step towards the dorms leaving the other two alone with themselves.
I hope you all enjoyed reading these.
The await for Shane and Selene ended... finally. I was as frustrated as Charm for this.
Please, comment to let me know how you liked it and how you didn't.
Thank You